One of the first questions you should ask yourself when planning your book marketing – or perhaps even before starting to plan or outline your book – is why you want to write this book. And I do mean this book specifically.
This is a question I’ve asked a lot of new authors during both the acquisition and marketing planning stage, with varied results. It goes right along with that other common query: “How did you come to write this book?” Publishers ask these questions because we want to get a better idea of the person we’re considering working with and how they’ll define success for their book, as well as what direction we should take with marketing.
Some authors have immediately launched into a detailed description of how the book fits into their wider professional goals, how it fills an important gap in literature about their field of expertise, or how it will help their readers. But many have sort of fumbled for an answer – they have a general feeling or hope for the book, but they can’t quite get into the details of what that will mean.
Whether you’re planning to work with a publisher or self-publish, it’s important to think about your goals for a book – and thinking about it early can help more than you might think.
Common Goals and What They Might Mean
Every author is different, and the goals they have may vary depending on the book. That’s why some authors publish under pseudonyms – their goals for a book and the audiences they’re trying to reach might be vastly different from other books they’ve written.
For example, someone who writes highly technical nonfiction within a specific industry probably wouldn’t have much audience crossover with a series of YA fantasy novels. But someone who writes YA fantasy and guides to creative writing might. In the second case, some YA readers are also writers – whether they do fanfiction for fun or hope to publish their own series one day. (Or both!) The difference in how the author approaches these overlapping audiences would depend on their goals for each genre.
Some examples of why authors want to publish a book include goals to:
- Inform
- Achieve professional goals
- Amplify and support causes
- Help or inspire others
- Leave a legacy
- Fulfill a writing dream
Authors can have multiple goals for a book. Our example author of highly technical nonfiction is obviously writing to inform their audience. But what do they want their readers to do with that knowledge? Do they want to use the book alongside professional services they’re developing, like online courses or in-person workshops? Do they want to inspire others to take up the mantel in a fading or emerging industry? The resultant book, author platform, and marketing strategy could look very different depending on their answers.
From Idea to Promotion
The reason you’re writing and publishing a book can impact almost every step of its creation. Wherever you are in your publishing journey, the questions below can help you narrow down your goals and how that affects the book itself.
Drafting/Writing
- What genre should this book be?
- What writing style will have the greatest impact?
- How should the content be organized and communicated?
Nonfiction books can be informative or instructional, but they can also convey an author’s sense of humor to make information more digestible and memorable, as well as more enjoyable to read.
Editing
- Would an editor recommend any structural standards, reader cues, or other specific improvements to better achieve your goals?
- Based on your unique knowledge of the professional field or genre of writing, is there anything that shouldn’t change?
Design/Production
- Would your book benefit from specific design elements – such as infographics and chapter roundups to reinforce learning, or illustrations and maps of the setting – or is just text okay?
- Should you offer additional resources like downloads?
- Do you need to consider any specific formats or accessibility improvements?
Marketing
- What kind of events might you attend to promote your book?
- What marketing campaigns could you use to reach more potential readers?
- How will ongoing promotion fit into your everyday life?
Writers who hope to amplify or support causes may consider how their book might specifically help that cause. Could they donate copies for a non-profit organization’s use in-house or as part of a fundraiser? Could the book be included in suggested reading lists?
Author Platform
- How will you present yourself?
- How will you engage with your readers? Will you participate in in-person events like conventions, conferences, or festivals?
- Do you want to develop and sustain an interactive community of readers?
- How will you continue to engage with readers after your book has been available for a while? How will you maintain your existing audience and attract new readers?
Nonfiction authors who focus on engagement with readers may use their platform to answer questions or provide updates about new developments. These authors could highly value reader reviews and feedback that focus on how the book helped them develop understanding and expertise.
Determining Success
- How do you define “success” for this specific book?
- What do you need to accomplish to feel the book is successful – one month after publication? Six months after? A year after?
“Success” doesn’t just mean sales numbers – it goes well beyond that. For some authors, it’s about the number of readers reached and the book’s impact on them. This could include library availability, personal book lending, and promotional/giveaway copies.
Your book is going to be around for a while, so remember that time is a factor – for both the book and your definition of success. Nonfiction authors might decide to release an updated edition of their book in response to new developments on the topic or reader feedback. Fiction authors may see their book develop a popular or cult following over time, or with a rediscovery years after its initial release. Both could benefit more from steady sales over time versus an initial burst of sales at launch, followed by lukewarm interest.
But both authors themselves would also change with time. The nonfiction author might decide they’re tired of running courses and attending events about their topic in favor of focusing on something new. The fiction author might decide to revisit a novel they published 20 years ago by writing a prequel.
Whatever stage you’re at in your work-in-progress, it’s never too late to think about your goals. Those goals might inform how you write it, how you want to publish it, what publisher(s) you approach, and how you’ll promote it. But you’ll never regret determining what your goals are – and neither will your publisher.
Emily Owens
Emily joined How2Conquer soon after moving back from Newcastle, England, where she lived for nearly seven years. Previously part of Mslexia, a UK-based women’s writing magazine, Emily is always a little bit homesick for the Toon, but she’s excited to be guiding H2C as it grows. In her spare time, she is the editor and founder of Palm-Sized Press, writes creatively as E.M. Killaley, and enjoys a number of nerdy TV shows. When she’s not geeking out over a good font or InDesign file, she argues with MadCap Flare.
